Street renamed in honor of Troy Douglas

A street was renamed in honor of Troy Douglas, an 8-year-old boy who was walking home from school when a home exploded – and a brick wall collapsed on him, one February afternoon.

WMAR

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The fallen bricks are gone, but many say the corner of Lakewood and Jefferson hasn't changed enough.

The burned debris serves as a painful reminder of what happened.

City fire investigators say an explosion caused a wall of a home to collapse and fall right on top 8-year-old Troy Douglas as he walked home from school one February afternoon.

The family says the community support was strong and instant. It has also continued over time.

"We just wanted the community to know that we haven't forgotten Troy, that his legacy will live on in the 13th District," Deshawn Batson, Baltimore City Youth Commissioner, said.

That's why the Commission worked to change the corner for the better.

The street will now be known as Troy Douglas Way.

"I just wish I could have my son like this would have never happened, but the community will always remember him for this and I thank everyone," Shanika Brown, Troy's mother, said.

The change comes just in time for what would have been Troy's ninth birthday. The family says it's a great way to honor his life and legacy.

"I just miss him and I just want y'all to know, it's good to celebrate Troy because he was a good baby, a good kind kid. I never seen a kid as good as Troy," Troy's great grandfather said to the crowd that gathered Saturday afternoon.